The Office of International Relations and Arab Universities Affairs announces the opening of applications for Egyptian-French scholarships for doctoral students offered by the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in cooperation with the French Embassy in the Arab Republic of Egypt. This is part of a joint doctoral scholarship program in France. The program is available to Egyptian doctoral students enrolled at Egyptian universities (public and private) and research centers.
Each scholarship covers one or more research stays in a French laboratory. The scholarship also covers international transportation costs (flight tickets), social security, and a monthly allowance to cover living expenses in France.
Three types of scholarships are available:
• Joint Thesis Scholarship (dual enrollment in a doctoral program at an Egyptian and French university): three six-month stays in France, with a monthly allowance of €1,770.
• Joint Doctoral Supervision Scholarship (enrollment in a doctoral program at an Egyptian university, with joint supervision by a researcher from a French university): two six-month stays in France, with a monthly allowance of €1,704.
• PhD Research Residency Scholarship (registration at an Egyptian institution, combined with a research residency at a French institution): One 6-month residency in France, with a monthly stipend of €1,704.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to prepare a joint thesis (dual registration in Egypt and France for a double degree) or, at the very least, to undertake joint supervision. Priority is given to such projects.
Research projects may be conducted in either French or English.
Eligibility Requirements:
• Be Egyptian, not holding French nationality;
• Be enrolled in a PhD program at an Egyptian university or research center (public or private);
• Be an assistant professor or researcher with a master's degree in a relevant field;
• Be under 35 years of age at the time of application;
• Have completed or been exempted from military service;
• To benefit from the scholarship and complete a research residency in France, the student must have registered for a PhD at a university in Egypt. If the PhD topic is already registered, the registration date must not exceed three years from the date of application for the scholarship.
• The researcher must have a good level of French or English, depending on the language of the research project;
• They must not have previously received a scholarship or other assignment for doctoral purposes;
• They must not currently hold a scholarship from the French government.
The required language proficiency is determined as follows:
• If the working language is English, the student must have an IELTS score of 5.5.
• If the working language is French, the student must have a DELF B2 or TCF certificate (minimum level B2).
Eligible Research Areas
All fields of academic research are eligible for the PhD scholarship.
Implementation Conditions
A registered six-month doctoral residency in France will be recognized as an official research assignment under the National Mission Plan.
The selection committees will consist of professors from Egyptian universities, in cooperation with representatives from the French side.
A coordination committee will be formed between the Egyptian and French sides to follow up on the implementation of the agreement.
The Egyptian Cultural Office in Paris will communicate with the doctoral supervisors to prepare a report on the results achieved during the six-month residency and their relevance to the research plan.
Required Documents
• A current curriculum vitae in French or English (one to two pages).
• A motivation letter in French or English (one to two pages).
• A copy of your passport.
• An updated summary of the research project (6-10 pages), detailing:
The relevance of the research stay in France to the overall project.
The research activities to be conducted at the French host institution (experiments, literature reviews, data analysis, etc.).
The proposed timeline for completing these activities and drafting the dissertation.
A copy of your most recent degree.
A letter of invitation from your French laboratory supervisor specifying the dates of the proposed research stay.
A letter of recommendation written in French or English.
Proof of enrollment in a doctoral program at an Egyptian university.
• Proof of enrollment in a doctoral program at a French university (for joint thesis).
• Proof of a joint administration agreement signed by the co-directors (for joint administration).
• A copy of the international joint thesis agreement (for joint thesis).
• A copy of the international joint administration agreement (for joint administration).
The French Embassy reserves the right to revoke the scholarship, even after issuing official confirmation, for reasons including, but not limited to:
• The French Consulate refusing to grant a visa or compelling circumstances preventing movement.
• The recipient is receiving another French government scholarship.
• Failure to meet any of the eligibility criteria mentioned above.
Application deadline:
July 15, 2025.
To apply, please visit the following link:
https://phdfrance.mohesr.gov.eg
Then create an account on the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research website and click Apply Now.
